Your advice stopped me taking my own life after ex dilemma

DEAR DEIDRE: MY ex was so full of hatred for my new wife when our daughter was born that she sent us vile ­messages, which nearly made me take my own life.

I’m 43 and my new wife is 39.

It all got too much.

My wife already had post-natal depression and I was trying to look after her and our baby when we were bombarded with vindictive and nasty texts, saying we were child abusers.

I have a 12-year-old son with my ex-wife and it seemed that she was turning him against us too.

Our daughter had been premature so when my son got Covid, we asked that he not come to visit because the baby hadn’t had any injections.

He was always happy to visit us once a week and he got along with my wife so well, but suddenly he was making excuses, saying that he didn’t like our food or he wanted to be with his mum.

Then these horrid texts started arriving and I didn’t know how to handle it.

I wrote to you not even expecting a reply but you heard my concerns and I received understanding and practical help from your counsellors.

You told me to contact samaritans.org (116 123) who listened and helped me to feel more positive.

You suggested some family mediation, which my ex-wife has finally agreed to, and now we are all ­getting on much better and our son is back to visiting us regularly.

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I feel my son expects me to dump wife after disastrous holiday but I love her

DEIDRE SAYS: I am so pleased to hear that.

There was clearly some jealousy involved and it must have distressing for you all to feel under attack.

Arranging for someone impartial to step in and listen to both sides enables you to focus your attention on a compromise, especially as innocent children were involved.

National Family Mediation (nfm.org.uk, 0300 4000 636) can really help.